Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post Reply
User avatar
EP Millstone
Posts: 1048
Joined: October 20th, 2022, 9:40 am
Location: The Western Hemisphere

Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by EP Millstone »

A 1940s-style "woman's film," produced in the 1960s, and packed with a "Classic Hollywood" cast, Where Love Has Gone is sordid, sensational, salacious, scandalous . . . and a whole lotta fun.

Briefly, a teen girl is arrested for killing her trampy mother's lover. Daddy -- a war hero, absent father, and reformed drunk -- investigates the murder to exonerate his daughter and also try to reclaim his parental role. Among the obstacles in his path: his domineering mother-in-law who fights him and her rebellious daughter for custody of her granddaughter.

For many book and film critics, the story of Where Love Has Gone (adapted from the steamy 1962 best seller by superstar-shlockmeister Harold Robbins) smacked of the lurid tabloid drama starring Lana Turner; her thuggish lover, gangster Johnny Stompanato; and her teenaged daughter Cheryl Crane. But, knowledge about the real-life back-story is unnecessary to enjoy the trashy thrills of Where Love Has Gone.

"Representing" Mama Lana and daughter Cheryl are Susan Hayward and Joey Heatherton. Hayward turned her histrionics as the "unfit mother, ungrateful daughter, and irresponsible wife" up to 11, dominating every scene she is in. By contrast, Bette Davis' performance is more nuanced and less flamboyant. As the manipulative, iron-willed, elegantly attired (by Edith Head) materfamilias, Davis conveyed a touch of vulnerability that softened the character's harshness and added more dimension to the one-note battle-axe.

Mike Connors capably held his own against his formidable, scenery-chewing co-stars. IMO, his performance as the emasculated husband and son-in-law was not entirely successful, noticeably during his drunk scenes. But, in his dramatic, confrontational clashes with Hayward and Davis, Connors successfully met the challenge and avoided being steamrolled into the scenery.

As the pouty, murderous minx, Joey Heatherton is eminently delectable. If her performance pales in comparison to her female co-stars, it is entirely up to the standards of Harold Robbins trash.

Now check this powerhouse supporting cast: Jay Adler, James Bell, Whit Bissell, Willis Bouchey, Anthony Caruso, Ann Doran, Jane Greer*, DeForest Kelley, George Macready, Anne Seymour.

At the helm: Edward Dmytryk, who further draws the viewer into Robbins' already gripping roman à clef with lots of one-shot and two-shot close-ups, heightening the story's emotional intensity.

Tubi offers a soft, greenish presentation that is like watching Where Love Has Gone through a cloudy fishbowl. What the streaming transfer lacks quality-wise, the content (the movie) more than makes up for entertainment-wise, as far as I'm concerned.

* Greer, although seven years younger than Susan Hayward, looks ten older than "The Brooklyn Bombshell."
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
User avatar
laffite
Posts: 1891
Joined: October 27th, 2022, 10:43 pm

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by laffite »

EP Millstone wrote: February 5th, 2023, 6:51 pm A 1940s-style "woman's film," produced in the 1960s, and packed with a "Classic Hollywood" cast, Where Love Has Gone is sordid, sensational, salacious, scandalous . . . and a whole lotta fun.

Briefly, a teen girl is arrested for killing her trampy mother's lover. Daddy -- a war hero, absent father, and reformed drunk -- investigates the murder to exonerate his daughter and also try to reclaim his parental role. Among the obstacles in his path: his domineering mother-in-law who fights him and her rebellious daughter for custody of her granddaughter.

[ ... a big snipperwoo right here ... ]
:smilie_happy_thumbup:
Sabine Azema in Sunday in the Country
User avatar
Fedya
Posts: 126
Joined: December 3rd, 2022, 6:18 pm

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by Fedya »

EP Millstone wrote: February 5th, 2023, 6:51 pm
For many book and film critics, the story of Where Love Has Gone (adapted from the steamy 1962 best seller by superstar-shlockmeister Harold Robbins) smacked of the lurid tabloid drama starring Lana Turner; her thuggish lover, gangster Johnny Stompanato; and her teenaged daughter Cheryl Crane. But, knowledge about the real-life back-story is unnecessary to enjoy the trashy thrills of Where Love Has Gone.
Agreed. When I brought up this movie ages ago on the old TCM boards, I started my review of it something along the lines of "Joey Heatherton stabs Joey Stompanato, and the movie gallops off from there."

Heatherton isn't asked to do much more than wail, "Daddy!", and even that is ridiculous. Susan Hayward, of course, was perfect for this sort of potboiler.

The movie is fun to watch because of how much of a mess it is.
User avatar
CinemaInternational
Posts: 810
Joined: October 23rd, 2022, 3:12 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by CinemaInternational »

The film really is a lot of melodramatic fun with great work from Susan and Bette... but I'm really not sure about one of the things that happens in the closing scenes of the film. It felt somewhat out of place
User avatar
EP Millstone
Posts: 1048
Joined: October 20th, 2022, 9:40 am
Location: The Western Hemisphere

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by EP Millstone »

CinemaInternational wrote: February 6th, 2023, 2:31 pm The film really is a lot of melodramatic fun with great work from Susan and Bette... but I'm really not sure about one of the things that happens in the closing scenes of the film. It felt somewhat out of place
And "one of the things" is?

We have a spoiler button now, in case you need to use it.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
User avatar
EP Millstone
Posts: 1048
Joined: October 20th, 2022, 9:40 am
Location: The Western Hemisphere

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by EP Millstone »

Fedya wrote: February 5th, 2023, 7:41 pm Heatherton isn't asked to do much more than wail, "Daddy! . . ."
A convincing impetus for fatherhood if I ever hoid of one!

Image

Ohhhh, Daddy!
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
User avatar
Hibi
Posts: 1351
Joined: July 3rd, 2008, 1:22 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by Hibi »

Bette did not mince words about the movie. Calling it a stinking piece of crap she did to pay for her daughter's wedding. She and Hayward did not get along (Susan found out Bette and the director were changing the script trying to make it better and demanded it be filmed word for word and it was!)

They wanted Bette to return to the production to film a mad scene on the stand and she refused, saying it would be out of character. She won the fight. LOL.
User avatar
laffite
Posts: 1891
Joined: October 27th, 2022, 10:43 pm

Re: Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Post by laffite »

Hibi wrote: February 8th, 2023, 12:14 pm Bette did not mince words about the movie. Calling it a stinking piece of crap she did to pay for her daughter's wedding. She and Hayward did not get along (Susan found out Bette and the director were changing the script trying to make it better and demanded it be filmed word for word and it was!)

They wanted Bette to return to the production to film a mad scene on the stand and she refused, saying it would be out of character. She won the fight. LOL.
Sticking to her guns on the mad scene. Normally she would relish something like that, seems to me.
Sabine Azema in Sunday in the Country
Post Reply